California shootings leave seven dead in Santa Barbara

A series of drive-by shootings in the Californian city of Santa Barbara has left seven people dead, US police say.

The shootings took place on Friday night in the Isla Vista neighbourhood, next to the University of California-Santa Barbara, where two-thirds of the residents are students.

Seven people were also injured. The suspected gunman is among the dead.
University officials and the police issued alerts calling on people in the area to stay indoors.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said the shootings occurred at several sites in Isla Vista, and there were nine crime scenes.

He also told local media police were investigating possible links to a YouTube video entitled Elliot Rodger's Retribution, which shows a young man complaining about years of rejection by women.